Lulav & Etrog

The 8-day harvest festival doesn't seem to take on much meaning in a city and an urban setting both of which do no farming and harvesting. Balcony plants, herbs and chillies not included. However, it's a time of thanksgiving for the bountiful year that has passed, and gratitude for the wisdom to see the blessings in the year to come. To that tone, we celebrate Sukkot.

I'm totally riveted by the news of how 'Occupy Sukkah' has been incorporated into 'Occupy Wall Street' movement across big cities.Activists built a sukkah at Zuccotti Park in NYC, and 6 other cities are set to follow suit.  It's a cause fueled by dramatic economic events (some might say catastrophic), a slippery slope, and to me, it's scary, amazing and awe-inspiring to see the full power of the First Amendment. Done right, this isn't just going to be a purposeful lobby, it's going to be an agent of change. To what end, one can only speculate, as what the political analysts are doing now, putting together theories and conjecture.

"We chose to erect and occupy our sukkah here at Zuccotti Park," Dan Sieradski, the organizer of Occupy Judaism NYC, wrote in a statement. "There is no better place to celebrate the festival of Sukkot this year than right here at Occupy Wall Street. We stand in solidarity with all those who are challenging the inequitable distribution of resources in our country, who dare to dream of a more just and compassionate society." (from Occupy Judaism)

On this note, let it be known that I'm extremely skeptical about the #OccupyRafflesPlace movement in Singapore. What is it that we're protesting about again? Certain crucial issues raised, yes. They're definitely worth more than a thought and a discussion. But importantly, is #Occupy the right platform to do so in Singapore? I don't think so.